Casket-handle.



No.`849,669. PATENTED APR. 9, 1907.

W. 'I'. FISK.

GASKET HANDLE.

APPLIOATION FILED Nov. 23, 190s.

W NESSES.- lmm/ WWW UNITED STATES PATENT @EETCE GASKET-HAN DLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 9, 1907.

Application filed November 23, 1905. Serial No. 288,645.

T all whom, it 77u03/ concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM T. Fisk, a

l citizen of the United States of America, re-

siding at Detroit, in the county of Vayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Casket- Handles, of which the following is a specilication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in handles for burial-Gaskets; and its object is to provide an ornamental drop or pivoted handle which may be readily attached to or detached from a finished casket-body, so that the buyer may select the handles he desires and the undertaker may without the use of tools quickly and easily attach the same and no particular skill will be required to do so.

It is also an object of the invention to so construct the device that the ornamental base-plates for the handles are carried by the handle-arms and are thus attached to the casket in the proper position by the attaching of the handles, said plates being also held thereby in such a manner that no weight or strain will come upon them7 their only purpose being that of ornamentation, and they may therefore be made lightand of cheap material. i

A further object of the invention is to provide efiicient means for detachably and pivotally attaching' the handle-arms directly to the casket-body in such a manner that its side is not weakened thereby and the strain in lifting the casket and its contents will come entirely upon said means, which are so constructed as to be very strong and rigid yet small, light, and durable, and a still further object is to provide the device with certain other new and useful features in its construction, all as hereinafter more fully described, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of one end of a handle embodying the invention; Fig. 2, a

'side elevation showing the same attached to a casket-body; Fig. 3, a vertical section on the line of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is anelevation of the inner or lower side of one of the handle-arms; Fig. 5, a side elevation thereof, and Fig. 6 is a detail showing one of the staples in place with its washer-plate in section.

As shown in the drawings, 1 represents the sidewall of a burial-casket, through which is driven a staple 2, formed of heavy wire or other suitable material and clenched down on the inner face of said wall. A washerplate 3, having holes to receive the legs of the staple, is forced upon the same before it is driven through the wall and lies iirmly against the outer surface ol" the casket, thus forming a stop to limit the driving in of the staple, and two of these staples are provided for each handle, one for the engagement of each handle-arm.

The handle or grip bar 4 is formed of wood or other suitable material and finished in the usual manner, and each handle-arm 5 is cast with a suitable cylindrical portion or ferrule 6 to receive the round end of said bar. For the purpose of cheapness and lightness these arms are preferably cast of some soft metal, with a strengthening-plate 7, of steel, in their longitudinal center, said plate being formed with a ring portion S at one end to encircle the handle-bar, and thus strengthen the ferrule portion 6 of the arm. This ring 8 is preferably severed at the lower side and formed into an eye 9 to receive a screw for securing the arm to the handle-bar, and at the opposite end the plate is formed with a long curved hook l0, adapted to be engaged with the eye of the staple and pivotally attach the arm t'o the casket.

An ornamental base-plate 11 is pivotally attached to each arm by a pin 12, passing through ears 13 on said base and through a hole in the arm, and the hook 10 is formed concentric with this pivot, so that when the handle is raised the hook will slide through the eye of the staple until said staple engages the end of the curved slot 14, formed between the hook and arm. A projection 15 is formed on the end of the strengthening-plate to engage the upper edge of the \\'asliel'-plate 3 when the handle is turned outward in position for use in lifting the casket, so that all strain will be upon the strengthening-plate and staple, and the base-plate 11 will only serve the purpose of ornamentation, it being pivoted to and carried by the handle-arm, so that it will always be in place and will be secured in its proper position when the hook on the arni is engaged with the staple.

The hook 10 is made of such a length that when the handle is turned down against the side of the casket, as shown in Fig. 2 and in dotted lines in Fig. 3, its free end will still project a short distance through the staple and 'firmly hold the handle in place, and this end of the hook is so formed and proportioned relative to the distance from the surface of IOO IOS

IlO

the casket to the axis of the pivot which attaches the base-plate to the arm that it forms a cam or inwardly and downwardly slanting edge 16 on the entering end of the hook in engaging the hook with the staple to draw the arm toward the side of the casket, and consequently force the base-plate iirmly against said side and to also prevent the handle when turned down frombeing easily raised, together with its base-plate, by accident and the hook disengaged from the staple, thus permitting the handle to tall oil.

In this construction the staples are preferably driven in in the manufacture of the coiiin-body; but the handles are not attached and are made in several styles, so that the purchaser may select the kind he desires, and they may be quickly slipped into place by any unskilled personwithout the use of any tools, and the handles with their corresponding base-plates thus accurately attached without danger of marring or breakage.

Having thus Jfully described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combination with a handle-bar, arms on said bar, means for detachably and pivotally attaching said arms to a casketbody, and means on the casket-body for engaging and preventing the handle from being turned upward beyond a horizontal or operative position, of an ornamental base-plate for each arm pivotally attached thereto independently of said attaching means and said means for limiting the turning, whereby said plate is held in its proper relation to said arm at all times without any strain beingv put upon the plate by the handle.

2. In a casket-handle, the combination with a handle-bar and arms on said bar, of staples adapted to be driven through and secured to the side of a casket, an ornamental base-plate pivotally attached to each arm, means on the staples for limiting the turning of the arms, and a curved hook on each arm adapted to be inserted in said staples when the handles are in a vertical position to pivotally attach the handles to the casket independently of the base-plates and each hook formed concentric with the pivot of its baseplate, whereby said handles may be turned without putting a strain on the base-plates and said plates are held in their proper relation to the arms.

3. In a casket-handle, the combination with a handle-bar and arms on said bar, of

staples adapted to be secured to a caskety body, a base-plate for each arm., ears on said base-plates, pivot-pins extending through said ears and arms, a curved hook on each arm formed concentric with the axis of said pivots, and having an extended end provided with a curved edge to engage the eye of the staple in entering the hook therein, and means on the staples for limiting the turning of the arms thereon.

4. In a casket-handle, the combination with a handle-bar, of staples adapted to be secured in the side of a casket, washer-plates on said staples to contact the outer surface of the casket side, handle-arms each formed of cast metal with socket portion at one end and a strengthening-plate extending in its longitudinal center, a ring portion on one end of said plate to embrace the handle-bar, an ornamental base-plate pivotally attached to each arm, a hook Aformed on each strengthening-plate concentric with said pivot to be engaged with the eyes of the staples and Jformed with an extended end having a rounded edge to engage the staple in entering the hook and force the arm toward the casket, and a projection on each strengthening-plate to engage the upper edges of the washer-plates and limit the turning of the arms.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence oi two witnesses.

IVILLIAM T. FISK.

Vitnesses:

Trios. G. LoNGsTAFF, OTTO F. BARTHEL. 

